Bullying via Vinted

[Weareoutofwine]

I've just seen quite a sad listing pop up on my Vinted feed. A photo of a school girl, blurry looking distressed in her school uniform. Clearly taken without permission. It has been listed as an item for sale - with what is likely her first name on it.

The 'seller' is based in a UK town and follows other sellers in said town. The sellers other items for sale suggest a teenage girl. I've reported it to Vinted - though there wasnt really a clear category that the report could fall into.

It makes me so so frustrated and sad that if a tool can be used for bullying
it is.

48 people have 'liked' the post in the space of it being up (v short time). Really despicable behaviour and suggests a targeted approach against the young girl. I don't really know why I'm posting this - just that I feel so upset for the girl, and so powerless. Bullying is rife and tech just seems so easy to use to inflict further visible humiliation and pain.

Vinted customer "support" is an absolute joke cut and paste responses you can never speak to an individual I don't know where you'll get to with this as it sounds serious

This is the second post like this I've seen tonight - the other was on Facebook. Clearly a new trend and not a very nice one. Hopefully vinted get on this and shut it down.

Vinted need to be blocking the accounts, registered email addresses and IPs. It cannot be that difficult.

I would try CC
[email protected] and
[email protected]
on any email reports and use this page
https://www.vinted.co.uk/help/notice_and_action_form?access_channel=hc_topics

This is awful, feels like something that needs to go to the media as it seems like these big companies only care if it could affect their sales

What a horrific trend.

Yes. I would also report it to the police.

I mean awful if it's bullying but are you sure, it could be something even more sinister, like trafficking or grooming of SA or something???

I agree - hopeless on much less serious matters. I would possibly suggest contacting your MPs, govt were swift to react to the Grok stuff last week so cyber shit is front of mind at the moment.

op, I would report it to the police. They will be able to react faster than school if it is a trafficking case. I’m not sure why you think it is bullying? My first thought was more sinister, which is pretty illegal, hence contact the police asap.

My god this is heartbreaking. The stuff kids do to each other sometimes would break an adult. At first I have to be honest I thought did the parents do this. There are some cruel posts on TikTok of parents playing jokes on their children and some of it is just vile and leaves the children so confused. My first thought was police. Reading on though it’s obviously not-what a cruel and vile trend. If I was the parent I think this would break me. As I write this I definitely think police. They will have access to the source and can deal with the school. You’ve done the right thing flagging this. I hope this turns out ok. I always thought the bullying I received as a teenager was bad, I don’t know how kids cope now

That's dreadful. I had a foul message when I listed a pair of wide calf riding boots. Apparently if I wasn't so fat and idle I wouldn't have needed wide boots. It was horrible. I did report it and Vinted allegedly removed them.

Just when you thought the world couldn't get more awful. I'm terrified for my DD.

Can you not also report the posts with print screens to 101. Selling children on Vinted is clearly illegal, whether the poster intended simply to bully the child or more.

Might be worth emailing social services in the area that the school is in.
schools aren’t always proactive
Do you think it’s a child behind this as either a joke or bullying, or does it look like a genuine account that been established for some time, with plenty of feedback?

To answer a few questions... as I have interacted with one item - now endless ones are appearing in my feed. I have reported each one to Vinted. Some reports are acted upon and the photos are the child removed. Others apparently don't break Vinted rules. What a joke!

I am fairly convinced these are bullying posts. The photos are all of children in school uniforms from numerous schools/areas in the UK. They are photos taken I would say without permission... so in the canteen, doing mean things like putting things in the children's school hoods - or up close and uncomfortable.

There could be a darker intent as some have suggested - but the things some of the accounts are selling look childish - like the current on trend teen make up or cheap teen clothes. Or nothing at all.

The item description is usually bullying in nature - ie calling them fat, stupid, ugly, lazy etc.

If a tool can be used for I'll intent hey it will it seems.

So today I am writing to my MP (he is hot on this type of thing), I have sent an email to the one identifiable school. All others are so generic in uniform and unfortunately I don't have time to investigate each one. I will also send an email to a journalist I know through work connections who has covered similar issues.

Kids are as ever one step ahead. We (collective adult population, tech and govts) need to get ahead on where all this is constantly heading.

If you add in the site engaging in providing a child for sale so likely engaged in criminal conduct under the
Sexual Offences Act 2003 and
Modern Slavery Act 2015 and Children and Young Persons Act 1933 ?

Hopefully the system can autoflag the listing for review by an actual human.

@Weareoutofwine Kindly, writing to your MP without flagging this to the police is a waste of your MP’s time. You should go through the appropriate channels first before escalating. Also, you’re not qualified to decide whether or not there’s a more sinister something going on here. You really ought to pass it across to 101 for review.

I've seen this before, I reported it.

It's a tiktok trend at the moment to list your friends on vinted, my teen told me today. Well done for reporting the post.

Kindly as I appreciate that you like me have the childrens best interest at heart - are you suggesting that an MP (mine is very actively engaged with online safety, advocating at every level), shouldn't know about this issue. They need to be actively informed to then regulate, engage with industry.

Also have you ever engaged with 101 on a similar issue. I have and it was laugable - in every instance. Sometime refusal to even log or act. So I'm afraid I won't and can't log the 15 (yes 15 instances yesterday) with 101.

Would also reporting the issue to newspapers and radio journalists to get media coverage be more effective at getting vinted to block this stuff ?

Even blocking or flagging bullying keywords can't be difficult.

I saw a couple of these last night and reported them - got a reply this morning from Vinted saying they couldn't take action against the poster because it needs a further review.

I've raised with a journalist I know, emailed my MP (who is hot on this stuff and actively engaged), emailed one school from a post that was highly identifiable and emailed my children's school. I have emailed vinted - but I doubt they will even read it. I've reported and will continue to report any posts that pop up on my Vinted feed. I've told my friends about it.

I think that is all I can do now - hopefully this all helps raise awareness. If everyone takes a little responsibility and applies pressure where they are able it will hopefully affect change. I'm hoping this post raises awareness with parents too.

I'm not on any other social media - so can't raise there.

The MP’s first question will be whether you’ve reported it and if you do, you’ll have a reference number which you can share with them, and express your concerns about whether it’s had appropriate follow up (given the past experience you mention). It is so important that we don’t self police what is reported to the police, as it always impedes their ability to act.

It’s not about not engaging, it’s about engaging efficiently.